


Closing Moments

by RachaelGold



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-09 00:31:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14705730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelGold/pseuds/RachaelGold
Summary: Chakotay and Kathryn have a few moments alone as they finally reach earth.Setting: Post-Endgame





	Closing Moments

In time-honoured tradition, the senior staff were the last to leave Voyager, and Chakotay found himself aboard a Federation shuttle for earth. It was unnerving to have a stranger at the helm, a human stranger that is. For seven years, they'd met both fabulous and fearful strangers from dozens of alien species spanning the Delta Quadrant, but only a handful of humans. Suddenly, there were unfamiliar humans everywhere. It was almost weird. 

Chakotay glanced around the body of the shuttle ferrying him and the closest members of his Voyager family on the last leg of their legendary journey. Beside him sat Seven, bolt upright and a little anxious. She seemed to deem conversation unnecessary. Tom was sitting on the other side of the gangway next to B'Elanna and fully engrossed in his new born daughter. Tuvok sat impassive near the door to the forward cabin, which hid the two Federation pilots from their view. The Doctor sat on the other side of Seven, given permission to arrive on earth with his flesh and blood colleagues, at the Captain's insistence. 

Kathryn herself had been unable to remain seated. She had taken up position, as had Harry Kim, at the larger of the two flank windows…the shuttle being rather more spacious than Voyager's own flyers. The majority of the crew had been taken down by transporter, but it had been decided that the senior staff would be brought in by shuttle, to make a spectacular entrance at the Presidio. The media, a huge swathe of dignitaries and the rest of the crew were already assembled awaiting their arrival. 

Kathryn was staring in awe at the beautiful sphere turning on its axis in the lower right of the window, her hand raised as if to seize it in her fist. The intensity of the blue was overwhelming, broken only by familiar land masses and white swirling clouds. From this distance it would have hardly looked any different centuries ago, save for the spidery weave of the weather net. 

Chakotay understood the draw of this magnificent view and moved to stand beside his beloved Captain at the window. 

Kathryn swallowed. "What do you think, Chakotay? Isn't that just the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" 

"Yes. Quite amazing," he agreed, his eyes lingering fondly on her rather rapt face, not the scene outside. 

"Did you ever think we'd make it?" 

"Always. I had great faith in you!" 

"In us. Team effort, Chakotay!" 

"Hmm." He finally turned his eyes to the window and drew a breath. He had to admit that the view was pretty spectacular. His grin widened, and out of the corner of his eye he observed Kathryn, sensing his reaction, grin in concert. His smile broadened. So did hers. They were always so in tune with each other. Words were often unnecessary. 

The shuttle banked and swerved round in a wide arc, and the blue orb swept out of view for the moment, before reappearing in the window behind them. Harry Kim moved away, leaving the command team to their thoughts. Kathryn remained where she was, instinctively knowing, with the innate sixth sense that had long ago marked her out as command material, that there would be something more to admire if she stayed. For there, in the dark canopy studded with stars, hung a silent shadowy object glowing dimly in the earthlight. It soon filled the window, and both of them held their breath. Voyager. She was now at rest after her long and arduous journey, the blackened scars of her recent adventures evident on her hull. There were still lights in a few places, but somehow she looked abandoned, dangling forlornly on the end of a docking arm at Planetia Utopia. 

Chakotay didn't need to look to take in Kathryn's reaction. He felt it. Her initial wonder turned softly into something more acute. She was feeling a painful separation, a sense of longing and regret, as if she was leaving behind a family member or some real part of herself. Voyager had been their home, and their last line of defence against all the terrible things the Delta Quadrant had thrown at them. She had come through for them, held miraculously together and delivered them back to the Alpha Quadrant. And now she was being deserted. 

No, he knew what Kathryn was thinking. He was thinking much the same himself. She was wondering if this might be the last time she looked at the precious shell of the ship that had held them secure for seven years. Voyager would always mean more to them than the collection of nuts and bolts that held her together or the array of bulkheads and consoles that comprised her skeleton. It was a hard separation for all of them, but most especially for her Captain. She'd fight tooth and nail for her, just as she would have done for a member of her crew. Starfleet wouldn't know what had hit them, if they ever dared suggest breaking her up. 

His own feelings were sinking at this sense of loss, when he heard Kathryn sniff. He knew instantly she was hurting; that if he turned, there'd be tears in her eyes. And there were. So it was totally natural that he should turn to his friend, open his arms and let her sink into them. 

Her head dropped onto his shoulder, and he felt her small frame shudder. So just as naturally, he tightened his arms around her back, rubbing his hands soothingly. He could barely remember Kathryn being visibly upset before, and certainly not in the presence of any other crew members. She would not normally have allowed this, but for once she had let her guard down. He felt it a privilege to offer her this comfort. 

Her familiar scent filled his nostrils, and his senses were sent reeling. He inhaled deeply, dreamily, suddenly lost in some strange trance-like reverie. This felt so good! So right! It had been a long time since he had held her so close. Without thinking, he indulged himself a little more. He let his nose bury into her hair, nudging at the silkiness and breathing in more deeply the aroma of roses. He hardly knew what he was doing. His eyes shut with pleasure, and unconsciously, his lips planted a simple kiss amongst her auburn tresses. 

Kathryn froze. Was that what she thought it was? For a moment, she thought she'd imagined it, but a second kiss planted deep within the strands of her hair confirmed it. She pulled back uncertainly. Her eyes lifted to his, showing a mixture of shock and confusion. 

It was enough to pull him back to reality, and the look of horror in her eyes sent his spirits plummeting. "Chakotay!" she admonished. 

"I'm sorry…" he apologised. Kathryn's eyes passed his shoulder to gaze warily at Seven. Had she been a witness to this little scene? The look of indignation on the former drone's face showed she had. Kathryn glanced back at Chakotay in warning, and in that instant he realised that Kathryn had known about his dating Seven. He didn't know how, but she knew. 

Chakotay stepped awkwardly away from Kathryn, wanting to apologise again, but restraining himself from making an even bigger scene of it. He'd made enough of a fool of himself. 

Their arms lost contact with each other, and Chakotay turned away regretfully. It had always felt good to touch Kathryn. He'd forgotten that, and he'd have loved to have savoured the moment a little longer. It had been a physical manifestation of a connection that was somehow always there. He glanced over to Seven, and realised with a sinking heart that the former drone was beginning to smoulder, so he returned to his seat beside her. 

At last, Seven seemed to find something worthy of conversation. She had to inquire, a hint of injury in her tone, as to the nature of what she had just witnessed. He tried to tell her it was nothing, though he knew it wasn't. She seemed to accept it for the moment, but Chakotay knew that wouldn't be the end of the discussion. He'd be called on it again when they were alone. 

Thankfully Miral's cries became the focus of attention, and they were all called to their seats for re-entry. As their journey continued, Seven didn't seem to notice Kathryn's occasional concerned glances in their direction. Chakotay, however, frequently felt the uncomfortable burn of her eyes. He sensed her anxiety about Seven and her incredulity at his behaviour. 

So Chakotay had an uneasy ride through the next forty minutes or so that it took the shuttle to reach the Presidio. He spent much of it speculating on what was going on in the minds of the two women in his life, and what the consequences would be to him. He was relieved when the shuttle finally descended through the clouds and landed with a bump on the parade ground. 

Glancing through the windows, all of them were shocked at the crowds awaiting their arrival, precipitating many gasps of disbelief and much animated discussion about the welcome they would receive. 

The door to the shuttle was lowered, and the noise of the cheering masses permeated the cabin. There was hardly time for an exchange of bewildered looks and raised eyebrows, before two Starfleet officers, a man and a woman, boarded the shuttle to welcome them to earth. 

The two officers explained what was about to happen. They would be escorted from the ship, and taken to a platform to address the crowd and answer questions from the media. They were to try to relax and enjoy their moment in the spotlight. Later they were to be taken to the hall for a grand reception, and here they would meet up with family members who had made it to San Francisco. A lot of family and friends were waiting to greet the travellers in person, even though they'd had the privilege of speaking readily and easily with many of them over the last few days. Communication time was no longer rationed since their arrival back in the Alpha Quadrant. 

The senior officers, it seemed, were to leave the shuttle first and enjoy their own moment of glory, before the Captain and Commander were to be called upon to make a grand entrance. Everybody nodded their understanding of the arrangements, and then the officers moved to the door, beckoning them to follow. Tom and B'Elanna with Miral duly made their way into the open air. There was a blast of noise as they did so. The reception they were given was unbelievable. The Doctor followed them out curiously, rather enjoying the attention. 

Chakotay squeezed Seven's shoulder reassuringly. Then she, Harry and Tuvok exited the shuttle together, leaving Kathryn and Chakotay alone, apart from the two unseen pilots in the forward cabin. 

Kathryn went to one of the flank windows and glanced at the throng waiting. It took her breath away. 

"Not what we were expecting?" said Chakotay gently. 

"It's a little…overwhelming." 

"I guess we're never going to forget this." 

"No. I don't suppose we will." She turned towards him. "Chakotay…do you mind telling me what that was all about earlier?" 

It was no use pretending he didn't know what she meant. They both knew something had happened, and he wasn't sure he could easily brush it off. He didn't want it to affect their friendship. 

"It was nothing…just a sign of my affection for a very special friend." He heard himself say the words, and knew immediately it sounded lame. Why was he such a coward when it came to speaking of his feelings to Kathryn? Was it because he'd had to endure so much pain because of his attraction to her over the years? "Brotherly concern, if you like," he continued. "I'm sorry if I offended you in any way…." Why the hell couldn't he be a bit more honest with her? What kind of an idiot was he? 

Kathryn's eyes darkened in disappointment. "Brotherly concern?" 

"Yes." 

There was a long pause before Kathryn responded huffily, "If that's all it was, I'll thank you not to invade my personal space in future. It was inappropriate! I expect you to show me more respect as your commanding officer." 

Chakotay was rather taken aback at this. How dare she take offence at such a little thing! He was tempted to remind her that she was rather inclined to invade his personal space….or had been a long time ago. All those flirtatious touches! But then it slowly dawned on him that it maybe it wasn't quite such a little thing really. He'd kissed her absent-mindedly, but in a way that spoke volumes about his innermost desires. If he brushed this off now, if he let this go, then he'd always berate himself for letting this opportunity pass him by. 

"And what if it was something more?" he ventured. 

Kathryn's eyes glinted in surprise, wondering for just a moment if she'd heard him right. It didn't mean anything more, did it? He'd long ago buried his feelings for her. Or had he? She shifted her weight and turned to face him more fully. 

"Then I'd damn well expect you to make yourself clear. Show what you mean in no uncertain terms, not act like some wuss who doesn't know his own mind." 

Chakotay swallowed, somewhat taken aback. He could hardly believe it! Who the hell was she calling a wuss? He wasn't standing for that! He lunged forward, hauling her into his arms, wrapping her close to his heart. His lips slammed into hers, searing them with a demanding, uncompromising kiss. Nothing tentative, nothing ambiguous. A kiss that really meant business, that spoke of his feelings now and promised a whole future. He poured his heart and soul into it, and he was quick to notice that she wasn't resisting. Far from it. 

It went on for well over a minute, as his tongue searched out hers. Their hearts pounded. Their heads began to spin. He held her so close, she could hardly breathe. Finally, he drew back, releasing her. 

They were both panting breathlessly. He laughed softly at the expression on her face. "Clear enough for you?" he asked. 

"Oh yes!" she rasped, letting her head drop onto his shoulder, while he rubbed his hands affectionately over her back. 

"I love you, you know." 

"Then what on earth are you doing messing about with Seven?" 

Chakotay half smiled in amusement. She was jealous! Now, he hadn't seen that coming. "Waiting for the one I really want to admit she loves me." 

"She does." 

"Well, it's about time," he said, kissing her on the forehead. Her nose. Her cheek. Her ear. Anywhere in easy range. "And is she willing to concede that protocol has no place keeping us apart anymore?" 

"I think she is." 

"Good. Because you belong in my arms, Kathryn Janeway, and you know it. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let _anything_ stand in our way now. No more wasting time." 

"Okay! No more wasting time," she agreed, with a flick of the head. He smiled back, and they kissed again. More gentle this time. 

They broke off, sighing. 

"Kathryn, after the reception…can we find somewhere quiet to go? Let's spend the night together." 

She nodded against his chest. "Let's spend every night together…" 

"I like the sound of that. I've no intention of letting you walk out of my life. I want to grow old with you in my arms." 

"You think we will make it to _old_ , you and I? With all the trouble we run into?" 

"Oh, I think so. We've made it this far. Living in the Alpha Quadrant's got to be a piece of cake after what we've been through." 

"We've been lucky." 

"We make our own luck, Kathryn." 

"I guess we do. I think today we've made a whole heap more." 

"We have," he smiled. 

"I'd better warn you….I doubt Mom and Phoebe will want to let me out of their sight. They deserve some of my attention." 

"Fine. Introduce me to the family. I'd like that. But don't invite them back to your room afterwards. Things could get a little ugly if I don't get you all to myself pretty soon." 

"I'll do my best," she offered. "Chakotay…let Seven down gently. She knows something's up. This is going to be hard on her." 

"Trust me. I'll talk to her. It's not like we've taken things very far as yet. Just a few dates, that's all. I doubt she'll be heartbroken." 

Kathryn looked unconvinced. "She could still feel hurt…this is all very new to her." 

"Let me handle it. You've better things to worry about!" 

"Today?" 

"Today," he agreed. "Nothing's going to spoil our first night together, I promise." 

"Good," she smiled. 

"And I'm going to make love to you so thoroughly, that you're going to wonder how you ever managed to resist me all this time." 

Her eyes flashed with interest. "I'm counting on it," she mumbled and leaned forward to kiss him again. 

They were startled by a sound of coughing from the door of the shuttle, and they looked up to see the female officer staring at them questioningly. 

"Captain? Commander? Is there a problem? We were wondering what the delay is!" she told them. 

"Just some unfinished business!" hedged Kathryn. 

"I can see that. I think I ought to warn you that you've been in full view of the cameras….they've been trained on the shuttle windows for the last minute or so." 

Kathryn groaned. "So now the whole universe knows. That's just great!" 

"Well," said Chakotay softly, "They were going to have to know sooner or later…" 

"I'd hoped later." 

"I'd hoped sooner, given that I'm going to have trouble keeping my hands off you for the foreseeable future. Hopefully it will save us having to answer awkward questions as to why we don't want to stay too long at the party tonight…." 

"I guess you're right." Kathryn relaxed a little. 

"Are you ready?" asked the impatient officer by the door. 

Kathryn threw Chakotay a worried look. "Is my hair in a mess?" 

He debated telling her she looked just great with her hair a little mussed, she really did. Just cute. But he knew there'd be hell to pay later, when she found out that the pictures being beamed across the universe had her any less than immaculate. 

"I think a little tidying is in order," he told her honestly. 

"Right. Give me one minute." She made a dash for the bathroom. He smoothed his own hair down with one hand, and glanced out the window. In the distance, he could see a gathering of Voyager staff on a platform. The Doctor was at the front, gleefully holding forth on some subject. Tom and Harry were waving at the crowds, and only now beginning to relax enough to enjoy it. Naomi Wildman was beside them, apparently lapping up the attention. 

He smiled to himself. This was going to be the most memorable day of his life. And the most satisfying. He could hardly wait for the next few hours to be over, so that he and Kathryn could be alone together at last. This couldn't be a more perfect end to their journey together. 

Kathryn came out of the bathroom, straightening her uniform, not a hair out of place. 

"Will I do?" she asked anxiously. 

"Oh I think so. Till I get you on your own. Then this uniform won't do at all," he said, fingering the lapel of her jacket. 

Her mouth twisted in amusement, and her eyes sparkled with imagination. 

"Ready?" he asked, holding out his arm. 

"As I'll ever be." She linked her arm with his. "Let's go." 

Together they had brought Voyager through seventy thousand light years. Together they had commanded a crew of over a hundred and forty lost souls and returned them to their loved ones. Together they had faced the worst that the Delta Quadrant could throw at them and survived. And together they would finish this last part of their journey and embrace everything that this new life had to offer. 

Arm in arm, they walked out into the daylight, blinking at the brightness and deafened by the most tumultuous applause yet. 

Voyager's command team had come home. In every sense of the word. 


End file.
